I really truely hate it. I would be terrible in the military. I have a strong respect for authority and I understand rules and all but I really hate being told what to do… especially when it’s “because I said so” or “because it’s for your own good.”

Reverse psychology would work great on me except I know what you really want and I thus I don’t want to do it.

I can be a bit contrary and stubborn.

That being said I’m SO sick of these government recalls. I’m sick of all these rules that are supposed to be “for our own good.” If it’s really for our own good then give us the information and let us decide on our own.

These rules are really for people who can’t use products properly or can’t follow directions or do stupid stuff… so the rest of us can’t use them anymore.

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe it’s my stubborn independent streak.

Here are a few of the things I’m referring to at the moment.

1. These recalls with baby stuff.

I don’t meant legitimate ones like toys that are obviously dangerous i.e. bursting into flames or growing arms and slapping babies or anything. I’m talking about ones that are silly.

We almost took my old drop side crib. I really liked the idea of Lydia sleeping in it, not to mention the saving money aspect. Someone told me, “oh you can’t use that… it’s dangerous… it’s been recalled!” Well, I obviously survived it. So did pretty much every child of my generation.

If you take care of it and use it properly it’s not a danger.

Some of these toy recalls are ridiculous. 5 children will be injured and they yank the item off the shelf. Steve and I keep joking that one day they are going to recall swimming pools because way more than 5 children are injured every year in them. Or slinkies…. I used to get my fingers pinched in them.

Obviously, I want them to be careful with toys and I want to know if there is a danger but these recalls don’t give us the option to judge for ourselves. I have two toys that have been recalled. I was careful and looked into what the item was recalled for and judged that considering how we used it we were not at risk.

2. Privacy acts for medicene- My 83 year old grandmother injured her foot in November. She just also fractured two vertabrae. I spent all day driving her around and trying to get her medical attention.

The ER forgot to put which vertabrae was fractured on her paperwork. When we called to find out we were told they could not tell us because of privacy. Now I’m all for privacy but how could saying L7 or T5 could possibly endanger her.

They said they could fax a form to the Dr’s office, she could sign in, fax it back and they’d fax back the information. Fine. Silly but fine. One problem for them and one for us. Problem for them: How do they know my grandmother is the one signing it? Ridiculous. Problem for us: The fax machine at the acupuncturist (where we were) was not working.

I suggested they fax it to my mother’s office so she could sign it (since my grandmother gave her permission to receive medical information). They stated that they could only fax it to a medical building. Of couse, they wouldn’t have known it wasn’t a medical building if I hadn’t been honest. So basically this law to protect us only screwed us over unless we were dishonest and then we could have easily gotten around it. And since it’s only dishonest people who don’t mind lying you are only scewing over the honest ones. Now if this was to protect her SSN or address or CC# fine, but which vertabrae was fractured? Come on!

As it was, I had to drive to the ER she was treated at. To be told they had sent me to the wrong place. Luckily if I waited 30 minutes another nurse MIGHT be able to give us the info. So Nana sat in the car with LA (who only started freaking out at being in a non moving vehicle towards the end- we don’t like to be strapped in if we’re not on the go) while I stood in the ER for 30 minutes not touching anything.

Thank goodness we finally got the info… it was her 5th and 7th vertabrae…. look privacy violation!!!!

3. And this is a rant from my pregnancy. I was all about doing the birth natural. Which I did.

But did you know there are two LAWS about how you give birth. The first is that you have to give birth 2 weeks after your due date or you have to be induced.

The second is that once your water breaks you HAVE to be in active labor within 12 hours or have pitocin.

I understand the safety concerns for both. But states don’t agree… in some states you have to be in active labor within 24 hours. In other states you have to give birth within 3 weeks of your due date.

I wanted what was best for my baby and wasn’t going to be unduely stubborn but come on…. how can they tell me I have no right to refuse drugs for induction or pitocin to speed my labor if I don’t want them? I find it hypocritical to tell me I have the right to my own body when they discuss abortion, but I can’t have the right to my own body to give birth…..

Sigh…. rant… there are way more similar things. But that’s it for now. I’m spent!